Maryland appeals order for retrial in ‘Serial’ podcast case

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh says his office is appealing a judge’s order granting a new trial to a man convicted of murder in a case that was featured in the “Serial” podcast.

Frosh said in a telephone interview that his office filed the notice of appeal Monday. The attorney general’s office has asked that any new trial for Adnan Syed be halted during the appeals process.

Syed was convicted of killing his former high school girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Retired Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Martin Welch ruled Syed deserved a new trial, because his lawyer didn’t challenge testimony in the case that became the focus of the podcast, which captivated millions of listeners around the world.